


Catharsis

by BunnyBob



Category: Sidlink-Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Coma Baby, Coma Baby fanfic, Multi, Panic Attacks, and the writing is seriously amazing, fic for a fic, seriously check out coma baby it's always got me on edge jesus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-28 02:27:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13894284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunnyBob/pseuds/BunnyBob
Summary: Throughout his entire life, Brivere has insisted that Prion, late First Knight to the great King Dorephan of the Zoras, is his father. He kept insisting this even as he and his mother were stripped of nobility status, even as he failed prove that he had Prion’s ability to predict the future, even as everyone bullied him for being a liar. He continued to insist Prion’s parentage even when he slowly began to doubt it himself.So when the time comes that Brivere is able to definitively prove that Prion is indeed his father and show that he was right all along, anyone would think that he would take the opportunity to do so in a heartbeat.But for some reason, he doesn’t.





	1. By The King's Demand

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BanishedOne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BanishedOne/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Coma Baby](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10493943) by [BanishedOne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BanishedOne/pseuds/BanishedOne). 



> This is a fanfiction for a fanfiction called Coma Baby by BanishedOne. If you like a grumpy Link and really well developed, deep characters and an amazing take on the political structure of the Zora Domain, then definitely check it out! It's a long read and still going on, but the writing and descriptions are superb and it just means more great content. This fic in particular is focused on my favorite character in the series, the OC Brivere. You don't need to read the whole series to get what's going on in this fic though, since a lot is explained in here.
> 
> Disclaimer: In no way does this have any true ties or canon to Coma Baby unless stated otherwise. It’s really just an indulgence AU to feed my obsession for Brivere drama.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On vague orders of King Dorephan, ruler of the Zora Domain, Guard Captain Bazz must search for First Knight Brivere and his younger brother Estuu. What exactly the king wants with the brothers is anyone's guess, but their complicated past and the controversy that surrounds the two outcasts may play a part in it.

Bazz frowned, looking at the ruins around him. The records held for each soldier showed that this was indeed where the Knight Captain Brivere lived, but they never said anything about how the place was destroyed in the earthquake months ago. The books and blankets neatly placed on top of the fallen pillars and walls hinted that they still lived here but just happened not to at the moment.

“Sir,” Tottika said behind him. “It is just a guess, but they may have gone to a nearby river or pond to sleep.”  
Bazz turned to face his underling. “What makes you say that?”

“Well, it is a pretty common practice now, since many homes were destroyed after the earthquake. Most still live in the remains of their house since repairs are slow and costly, but because the water is safe to use now they sleep there instead of…” Tottika paused and gestured at the broken home before them. “You know, the graveyard of their old lives. Also, it is still early in the morning, so the brothers may just be resting elsewhere.”

Nodding his head, Bazz deeply sighed and rubbed one clawed hand on his head tail.

“Is something wrong, sir?”

Bazz let out a small chuckle. “Nothing, Tottika. I was just hoping that they would actually be here so that our jobs would be easier.”

The other Zora nodded along. “Yes, I agree. We aren’t even supposed to be working so early, but the King announced that this retrieval mission was urgent.”

“All the more reason to head out then.” Bazz grunted as he patted Tottika on the shoulder. He raised his spear to get the attention of the other guards also searching the ruins. “Everyone! You are to spread out and search every inch of the nearby rivers and ponds. If neither of the brothers are found within two hours, we are to all reconvene in front of the barracks and discuss a different strategy. Is that clear?” he barked.

“Yes sir!” The soldiers yelled back in unison. They quickly dispersed in different directions. Bazz went towards the market, hoping to find someone who had actually seen one of the brothers.

About an hour and a half of searching went by without a single hint of where Brivere or Estuu were. As far as any of their neighbors knew, they were just a silent pair of brothers who kept to themselves. Those who actually knew about the controversy surrounding the two of them had learned to block out their presence years ago. The only lead Bazz actually found was an Undercity merchant who claimed that a small, rosy Zora missing half of his arm had bought two fish from her and went “that way” with a vague roll of her hand towards the woods. The Guard Captain had no choice but to investigate; where one brother was, the other was bound to be there as well.

Half an hour passed without any trace of Brivere or Estuu in the woods surrounding the Domain. Bazz sighed and raised his hand to signal the other guards to call off the search, but stopped when a small hint of gold flashed in the corner of his eye. His head whipped around to see a figure hunched behind some trees, almost completely hidden by their low dangling leaves if it weren’t for the wind gently blowing them around.

Motioning for the nearby guards to follow him, Bazz quietly parted the leaves and approached the crouching Zora. Their head was tucked between their knees while their hands tightly gripped a silver scale longsword stabbed into the ground in front of them. Bazz didn’t even need to see their face to know it was Brivere, for he was the only Zora who used the odd weapon. He was also the only one to be able to appear so threatening even in his sleep. Behind him, there was a small pond, so peaceful that there were barely any ripples disrupting its calm surface. It felt like a tiny sanctuary, protected from the outside world by the trees that tightly surrounded it.

Bazz took a step forward, feeling guilty for disrupting the peace but knowing that he had a job to do. Opening his mouth, Bazz tried to call out to Brivere, only to have the words stuck in his throat as a blade was swiftly pointed at it. The guards behind him flinched and quickly raised their weapons, all pointed at the blade’s wielder.

“Brivere.” Bazz breathed. “It’s just me.”

In all honesty, he didn’t know if that would actually encourage the other Zora to lower his longsword, considering the tense history between the two of them. Bazz had blocked Brivere’s attempt to trade rations for the sake of his ill brother months before. And while yes, it was a dick move, Bazz had justified it with how the brothers refused to give his now late friend medical care weeks before that.

He was relieved to watch Brivere’s dazed eyes blink and slowly come back into focus. “Oh.” Brivere said, quickly drawing back the blade. “I do apologize, Guard Captain. You startled me and in my tired state I did not realize it was you.”

“Think nothing of it.” Bazz said hesitantly. He couldn’t tell if Brivere was being hostile or not, but as always the golden Zora continued to wear a blank mask of indifference. To be honest, it irritated him a little. Bazz awkwardly cleared his throat, trying to dispel his personal feelings for the sake of professional business. “The King has been seeking your presence for quite some time now, but we have been unable to find you for hours since you were not home.”

Brivere slowly nodded, turning his head to look at the pond. “My brother is still distressed over the destruction of our house. He does not take sudden changes to his environment very well, especially since it was such a safe place for his whole life. We often come out here so he can peacefully rest.” Bazz glanced over Brivere’s shoulder, catching a small glimpse of rosy scales that shimmered under the water.

Looking back at Bazz, Brivere bowed his head. “I apologize again for the trouble. I just did not anticipate anyone looking for us this early in the morning.”

Bazz waved the apology away with his hand. “It is quite alright.” After an awkward pause, he spoke up again. “If you do not mind me asking, why did you not sleep in the pond with your brother? Surely that would be more comfortable than the hunched state we found you in.”

A weak scoff escaped Brivere’s mouth, and Bazz swore he saw a hint of a smile tug at the corner of the Knight Captain's taut lips. “I do not know if you have noticed, Guard Captain, but the pond is awfully small. My brother has a strong aversion to touch, so I wanted to avoid making him uncomfortable. Plus, I can guard him better up here than down there.”

“You must really care for your brother.” Bazz said, hoping that the compliment would ease the tense situation. It clearly backfired when Brivere’s gaze hardened as he stood up.

“Yes.” he said in a tight voice. “Everything I do is for him.”

Bazz cringed. The Knight Captain was definitely still mad about the food rations incident. He quickly changed the subject. “We should head out soon. It has been a few hours since the King has requested your presence.”

Nodding, Brivere turned around and bent over the small pond. He lightly and repeatedly smacked the calm surface with an open palm, confusing the hell out of Bazz until a small head popped out of the water.

 _Right._ Bazz thought. _His brother hates touch._

It took a few minutes for Brivere to explain the situation to Estuu, who sleepily nodded his head and dragged himself out of the water. The two of them quickly followed the guards to the river, where all of the Zora jumped into the rushing currents and swiftly swimming towards the castle.

;

Brivere quietly walked alongside the rest of the soldiers, no one saying anything as they navigated the winding streets of the Domain. While this wasn’t out of the ordinary, since no one really talked to him outside of official business anyways, the atmosphere was definitely different. Since he was their superior officer as the Prince’s Knight Captain, usually the air had a sense of professionality and was at least comfortable, but today he would be surprised if he didn’t choke on the awkward tension around the group.

He was glad that he at least had his younger brother around to keep himself grounded. Estuu quietly skittered behind him, trying to hide in his older brother’s shadow.

“So.” Brivere said, breaking the silence. “Where is Prince Sidon?”

Bazz, who was leading the group, looked over his shoulder at Brivere. “He is in the throne room. Why do you ask?”

“Well, I am his Knight Captain. I am supposed to be by his side whenever we are called for official business. And the throne room? We usually meet at Mipha’s statue so that we can enter together.”

“You will not be meeting the Prince nor stand alongside him today.”

“…I beg your pardon?” Brivere asked, slowly.

“The King has called for _you_ specifically. Prince Sidon will still be there, but that is because he must be beside his father.”

Anxiety pooled at the bottom of Brivere’s stomach, but he’d be damned if he let it show on his face. “Do you know the reason for which I have been called?”

“To be quite honest, I have no idea. We have just been asked to escort you to the throne room.” Before he could ask any more questions, Bazz turned forward, clearly indicating that the conversation was over. And with those words, Brivere noticed that the guards who accompanied them had subtly formed a tight circle around himself and Estuu. Suddenly, he didn’t know if this was to protect them...

…Or to prevent them from escaping.


	2. Hesitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Throughout his entire life, Brivere has insisted that Prion, late First Knight to the great King Dorephan of the Zoras, is his father. He kept insisting this even as he and his mother were stripped of nobility status, even as he failed prove that he had Prion’s ability to predict the future, even as everyone bullied him for being a liar. He continued to insist Prion’s parentage even when he slowly began to doubt it himself. 
> 
> So when the time comes that Brivere is able to definitively prove that Prion is indeed his father and show that he was right all along, anyone would think that he would take the opportunity to do so in a heartbeat. 
> 
> But for some reason, he doesn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a fanfiction for a fanfiction called Coma Baby by BanishedOne. If you like a grumpy Link and really well developed, deep characters and an amazing take on the political structure of the Zora Domain, then definitely check it out! It's a long read and still going on, but the writing and descriptions are superb and it just means more great content. This fic in particular is focused on my favorite character in the series, the OC Brivere. You don't need to read the whole series to get what's going on in this fic though, since a lot is explained in here. I also post some memes, fanfics, and fanart for Coma Baby on my tumblr bunnyb0b!
> 
> Disclaimer: In no way does this have any true ties or canon to Coma Baby unless stated otherwise. It’s really just an indulgence AU to feed my obsession for Brivere drama.

The group of soldiers continued to silently march into the palace, going up several flights of stairs and down many hallways until they reached the entrance to the throne room. Bazz stopped a few feet short of the entrance and gestured for the other guards to be dismissed. They saluted their Guard Captain before quickly dispersing, heading back to the barracks or resume their post along the walls of the Domain.

Due to his higher title of Guard Captain, Bazz was the only one to lead Brivere and Estuu into the throne room. The walls were constructed out of reflective blue gemstones that changed color at every angle, mimicking the calming waves of the sea. Intricate silver metalwork added to the gemstone’s beauty by highlighting every surface and edge. No matter how many times he had been in the throne room due to his job, its sheer magnificence still managed to take Brivere’s breath away every time.

But this was no time for sight-seeing. Brivere quickly noticed that the room was full of the king’s advisors, members of different factions of the Knighthood, and even some apostles from the Basilica. It was as if every Zora of high nobility and importance was there. At first, Brivere thought that they had interrupted an important meeting, as that was the only logical reason for so many of the elite to gather, but the strained looks on their faces told him that they were waiting for something.

For _him_.

He swallowed the anxiety that crept up his throat, tightening his blank face as he made his way to the king.

King Dorephan was larger than life in the most literal sense possible. He completely towered over everyone in the room atop his magnificent throne, made out of a darker blue gemstone than the walls and decorated with ridiculously detailed silver lining.

Near the foot of his throne was Prince Sidon, who flashed a quick smile of reassurance to Brivere before resuming a more professional posture with his hands behind his back. Standing next to the prince was Link, who fidgeted in place with his arms crossed.

Brivere, Estuu, and Bazz stopped in the clear area in front of the throne, each of them quickly kneeling on one knee while bowing their hands and placing a hand over their heart. Bazz only held the position for a few seconds before rising and walking over to the side, joining the rest of the crowd. Brivere and Estuu continued to kneel, waiting for the King’s command for them to stand again.

Holding his breath, Brivere racked his brain for answers. Had he done something wrong? He tried to recall everything that he had ever done, finding it difficult to pin point exactly where he had messed up. Was he going to be fired? Oh Hylia, he couldn’t get fired! He had worked way too hard for this position and depended on it to support himself and Estuu.

Shit. Did Estuu do something again? He swore that his brother had become much more well-behaved after the arrow incident with Betaal, the Undercity Commander.

Because of how loud his heart pounded in his ears, he scarcely noticed Sidon staring at him, nor how the Prince beckoned the King to lean down, whispering something to his father. King Dorephan let out a low chuckle and straightened up in his throne.

“Brivere and Estuu.” the old king's voice boomed. “Do not be so nervous. I promise that neither of you are in trouble. You both may also rise now.”

“Yes, your majesty.” Brivere loudly replied, hoping he could make up for Estuu’s lack of speech. They both scrambled to their feet, trying to keep their posture as straight as possible.

The old king smiled, the edges of his eyes crinkling. “I do apologize for not giving more information to the guards when they retrieved you. However, what I will discuss with you is something rather secretive, and we hastily made the decision to call this meeting as soon as possible.”

“It is alright, your majesty. There is no need to apologize.”

“Thank you, Brivere. Now, as you know, our Domain has faced many hardships this past year.” King Dorephan said, and everyone else in the room immediately muttered in agreement. The King held his large hand up, waiting until there was complete silence for him to speak again. “The Water Blight took away so much; the water we depend on for so many aspects of our lives, the food that we eat, and even some of our own with the illness that spread as a result. Earthquakes destroyed many of our structures and buildings, more and more monsters have been attacking our troops… in short, it has been difficult to try and maintain stability within our kingdom.”

King Dorephan paused, his eyes drifting away as if he was in a different place than the throne room. “To be quite honest, it all reminds me of when the Calamity first broke out one hundred years ago.” Brivere quickly glanced at Link, catching the guilt that flashed across his face. “I remember it like it occurred just yesterday. Those were such difficult times, and I- No, the Domain would have never survived without Prion’s leadership and future-seeing abilities.

“…Your majesty?” Brivere asked slowly. He felt like he was catching onto something just outside his reach.

King Dorephan uncomfortably shifted on his throne, clearing his throat and opening his mouth as if to say something but quickly deciding against it. Instead, he gestured for Sidon to step forward. To Brivere’s surprise, the prince whipped out an ornate chest from behind his back and presented it to him. With a nod from the king, Prince Sidon opened the lid and tilted the chest so that Brivere could get a better look of its contents.

Inside rested a large silver scale choker on a blue silk cushion. Its design was so intricate and complicated that the only thing that could rival its implied status was the King’s own collar. Sidon’s choker only covered his neck, but Brivere could tell that if he donned this fancier one it would cover his neck, shoulders, and upper chest.

“That,” King Dorephan breathed. “was Prion’s.”

Brivere tried to ignore how he didn’t say _Your father’s._ “I do not quite understand.” the Knight Captain said in a small voice as he stared at the choker.

King Dorephan sighed. “With all of the chaos that has been happening, I fear for the safety of my kingdom and its citizens. Prion’s ability had helped so much before, and in these trying times it would save us all. But he is not here.” He flashed Brivere a sympathetic look. “I know that your situation has been difficult, and it would be completely hypocritical for us to ask this of you. But at this point we have no choice.”

Brivere could feel his indifferent mask cracking. “What exactly is it that you want me to do?” he asked, trying to keep his composure as an unsteady mix of emotions sloshed around inside of him.

“I would like you to put Prion’s collar on. He always told me that it greatly enhanced his abilities, as it was blessed by the goddess Hylia herself to give him strength." King Dorephan explained. "But only someone with his blood could have the same power to see the future, and as small of a chance as it is, you may be the only candidate for this role.”

The Knight Captain's heart sank. Even in this situation, he was only a last resort. And even now, they _still_ doubted him. His fingers itched, wanting to just snatch up the collar and put it on out of pure spite. But something gnawed at the back of Brivere's mind, anchoring him in place.

“I apologize, your majesty, but may you give me some time to gather my thoughts?”

Brivere didn’t even wait to see the king nod out of surprise. The Knight Captain quickly turned towards the balcony off to the side, shouldering past the many nobles and officials that had crowded around him. Estuu trailed closely behind, confused by his older brother’s actions.

The second he was outside, Brivere gasped for air as if he had been holding his breath the whole time. In all honesty, he may have been and just didn’t notice. He ducked to the side, out of sight from the entryway, propping himself up against the railing to stop himself from collapsing right on the spot. Estuu quietly came over, watching him with concerned eyes.

“Estuu.” Brivere panted. “I am fine. Go back inside.”

In response, Estuu rolled his eyes and shook his head. He stood in front of Brivere with his one hand on his hip, knowing that his older brother was too tired to fight back. He watched as Brivere slowly calmed down, gulps for air melting into steady breathing, but he could tell that his brother wanted something else.

Indeed, Brivere’s hand twitched at his side. No matter how desperately he wanted to hold his younger brother’s hand, to have some sort of physical reassurance to keep him grounded, he knew that he couldn’t make such a request. For one, Estuu clearly hated physical touch, and Brivere always respected that. For another, Brivere was already a fully grown Zora, who shouldn’t need such tiny condolences. Especially not from the person who he was supposed to take care of.

Still. Brivere had been so touched-starved ever since his mother died. In that sense, she spoiled him, always cradling him as she sang him to sleep or embracing him as he cried. She had held his hand everywhere they went as a way to assure him that she was still there and to make sure he didn’t run off. He was always such a clingy child, and when she was gone there was no one who could fulfill that role. Estuu couldn’t stand the smallest of touches, they had no immediate family, and everyone else seemed to avoid them like the Water Blight.

Of course, he never brought this up to Estuu. The older are always supposed to care for and assure the younger ones, not the other way around. And he didn’t want to pressure him into doing something he didn’t want to.

The feeling of something soft in his hand finally snapped Brivere out of his downward spiral of loneliness. His head whipped to the side, trying to find the source of it, eyes widening as he found Estuu standing close to him. His tiny, clawed hand had weaved into Brivere’s.

“Estuu…” Brivere said, softly. “While I appreciate the sentiment, you really don’t have to do this.”

The younger Zora quickly shook his head, tightening his grip. Brivere chuckled at the clear discomfort on his brother’s face and slipped his larger hand off, squeezing Estuu’s finger gently as he let go. “Thank you.”

Both of them leaned against the railing in comfortable silence, listening to the impatient crowd that awaited them inside of the throne room. They obviously wanted to get this over with as soon as possible, but Brivere was not going back in there until he was sure that he was making the right decision.

“Estuu.” he finally said. “I know that I am perhaps acting irrationally.” The younger Zora quickly shook his head which made his tail ridiculously flop around, making Brivere crack a small smile. “I know. They have treated us unfairly, me in particular in this certain situation. They denied our family’s relation to Prion, took away our nobility status, belittled us… abandoned us when mother ultimately took her life because of their taunts. So I have no obligation to grant them this request.” Brivere paused. “And yet… that is all the more reason to put the choker on. Prove them all wrong once and for all, make them regret what they did, make them regret ever hurting the family of the great Prion. I am just mad, I suppose.”

Estuu shot him a questioning look. He didn’t even have to speak for Brivere to know that his younger brother sensed something else bothering him.

Sighing, Brivere waited for the right words to form on his lips after being locked away for so long. He absolutely despised admitting weakness, especially to the one person he was supposed to be strong for.

“I am also terrified.” he quietly admitted, looking down at his webbed feet. “I have been insisting my whole life of Prion’s relation to me based solely on mother’s word. And that should be all I need. But… it’s hard. It’s hard to keep believing when everything and everyone else says otherwise.”

Brivere caught his breath and tightly shut his eyes. “I am so scared of being wrong. Because if I am, then that means that they were right all along. And I don’t think I could ever handle that. Everything that has happened to us would be justified. I just… I don’t know. I want to put the choker on so badly, but at the same time I refuse to give them the satisfaction of watching me fail with my so-called father’s prized possession chained around my neck.”

The fast rustling of papers made Brivere’s eyes snap open, watching in confusion as Estuu dug into his satchel with his only functioning hand. Quickly, he pulled out a familiar book, The Cursed Girl branded onto the cover.

Estuu quickly flipped through the pages, searching for one specific passage. He never spoke and hated writing, so this was the one way he rarely used to communicate outside of head nods and hand gestures. Also, he had read the book so many times that every single page was already memorized, so it wasn’t long until he found the excerpt he was looking for. Pointing a claw at it, Estuu held up the book for Brivere to see in the sunlight.

_"I refuse to give up, as should the rest of you!” Lorelei roared to the cheering crowd. “The odds may be against our favor, but we shall not back down! Nothing will come of us if we continue to do nothing. And while there is the fear of failure, the prospect of victory shall triumph over it! We must fight! We must try!”_

When Estuu was certain that his older brother had finished reading the passage, he tapped a clawed finger to the last word over and over.

_Try. Try. Try._

Brivere was stunned. He chuckled, closing the book and allowing Estuu to stash it back into his satchel. “You have a very wise soul for such a young body.” he teased. Estuu rolled his eyes, but Brivere still caught the smile that twitched in the corner of his mouth.

“Come now. Let’s go back inside.” the golden knight said, eliciting a nod from the younger Zora. With this, the two brothers turned, walking back towards King Dorephan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Chapter 2: Hesitation)  
> oh shiiitttttttt  
> we all need an estuu in our lives  
> at least i do cause i need to get my ass in gear  
> anyways, what do you think is gonna happen?  
> stay tuned for a a public meltdown and somehow more angst  
> admittedly, this is kinda tough, since you cant really put italics on ao3 and i had to change some stuff. a lil sad honestly, takes away some deeper intentions. unless you can actually put italics and im just a dumbass, in which case: in my defense, this is my first time really using the site  
> also sorry that sometimes the paragraphs randomly indent, i dont know why all of it wont indent but i try to fix it


	3. Meltdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In order to help keep the peace and continue the success of the Zora Kingdom, King Dorephan and all of the elite class have asked Brivere to put on the late First Knight Prion's choker. Although they claim that it may awaken Prion's ability to see the future within Brivere, it is clear that this is only a last resort when even in this situation they still continue to doubt his ties to the late First Knight.
> 
> If it works, then Brivere could finally prove all of his tormentors wrong. If it doesn't, then all of the pain and torment that he and his brother had endured for their whole life would be justified.
> 
> He wished he truly could see the future if only to see how much he would actually suffer either way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a fanfiction for a fanfiction called Coma Baby by BanishedOne. If you like a grumpy Link and really well developed, deep characters and an amazing take on the political structure of the Zora Domain, then definitely check it out! It's a long read and still going on, but the writing and descriptions are superb and it just means more great content. This fic in particular is focused on my favorite character in the series, the OC Brivere. You don't need to read the whole series to get what's going on in this fic though, since a lot is explained in here. Also, my tumblr bunnyb0b posts fanfics and memes for Coma Baby!
> 
> Disclaimer: In no way does this have any true ties or canon to Coma Baby unless stated otherwise. It’s really just an indulgence AU to feed my obsession for Brivere drama.

King Dorephan warily looked at Brivere, who had finally come back from the balcony. “Is everything alright?”

He nodded. “There is no need to worry, your majesty. And I agree to try on the choker.” The King’s face broke out into a wide grin. “Thank you, my boy. You will be doing your people a great service.” He waved his hand to Sidon, who eagerly held the chest back out to Brivere and flashed him an encouraging smile.

With a soft exhale of breath, Brivere lifted the silver scale choker out of the chest. Sidon quickly shut it and joined Link back at the foot of the throne. The golden Zora was concerned at how heavy weighed in his hands, wondering if it would be unformfortable to wear. But when he slipped it on, he felt the choker become as light as water as it evenly distributed itself across his broad shoulders. He couldn’t help but run his clawed fingers over the cool metal, tracing the intricate patterns and feeling the smooth gems adorning it. Although he had never seen it before, or knew about its existence for that matter, it felt so familiar as if it was his the whole time. It fit perfectly. Confidence surged through his body as he thought about how his father must have proudly worn this into battle, fighting off enemies and protecting the Domain alongside his mother.

“Well?” The Knight Divine snapped at him, completely ruining the moment. “Do you see anything?” The other knights and apostles around her nodded, looking at Brivere with clear disdain and disbelief.

He cleared his throat. “No.” he said simply, not wanting to give any of them the satisfaction of watching him struggle.

A smirk tugged at the corner of the Knight Divine’s lips as she turned to King Dorephan. “See, your highness? It is as we have been saying this whole time. As unfortunate as it is, Brivere simply isn’t Prion’s son, and I am afraid that there are no other possible blood ties to the late First Knight. This has been a terrible waste of time, and we must seek out other options for the benefit of our Domain.”

“Now hold on.” Link hissed. “He hasn’t even had it on for a minute yet!”

Sidon nodded. “The Hylian Champion is right. I’m sure it will take more time, considering that it has been over a century.”

“With all due respect, my Prince, you cannot possibly believe-!”

“Enough!” King Dorephan bellowed. Everyone in the throne room flinched at the edge in his voice, rather than its naturally loud volume. “It is fine. We will allow him more time.”

The Knight Divine hid her scowl, but sent a pointed glare to Brivere, who used every ounce of his willpower to not roll his eyes. Estuu looked up at him with an encouraging shine in his eyes before scurrying over to Link and Sidon. Brivere nodded at the three of them in thanks and took in a deep breath.

Well. Here he was, dumbly standing in front of a crowd that hated him, expected to summon powers that he doesn’t even know if he had. Panic began to wash over his body as he slowly realized that he had absolutely no idea what he was doing and he probably just bit off more than he could chew.

Was… he supposed to close his eyes? Yeah, that seemed right. He quickly shut his eyes, hoping that he didn’t look like a dumbass that was trying too hard.

Surprisingly, it actually helped, blocking out the stares of the noble crowd around him. He didn’t know what else to do other than silently pray to Hylia, since she was the one who supposedly gave his father future-seeing visions in the first place.

Dear Goddess Hylia, please help me. If Prion is truly my father, please awaken the same abilities you gave him within me so that I can finally prove to those around me that my mother and I were right all along. I am sorry to ask such a request, but I desperately need justice.

Nothing happened, and Brivere resisted the urge to grumble in frustration. He didn’t know what else he expected.

He thought about if his mother ever felt so abandoned by Hylia, but then remembered the tales about his father that she used to tell him when he was a child.

“Your father was such a caring man, almost as soft-hearted as you!” she would giggle, poking at his small stomach as he playfully smacked it away. “He cared so deeply about his fellow Zora that he prayed constantly to Hylia for help. He desired to see the future, not out of greed or the desire to be better than others, but rather to protect the people he loved.”

Brivere opened his eyes and glanced around the room. He didn’t know if he could be as selfless as his father and beg protection for the very people that tormented his family for the past hundred years. But his mind changed as his eyes settled on the three figures that stood at the foot of the King’s throne, watching him with worried expressions on their faces.

In that moment, Brivere realized that he didn’t want to protect the stuck-up nobles and apostles that requested him to put on the collar. But he did want to protect Sidon. He wanted to protect Link. He wanted to protect Estuu, and the kind old woman who waved at him in the marketplace, and the little boy who lived down the street that was nice to his younger brother, and every other Zora that populated the domain.

And with time, maybe even the Zora in this throne room.

A flood of images suddenly crashed into his mind in no coherent order, all of them fighting for domination. Brivere was so startled that he almost yelped in surprise. Impressively, his body managed to not even flinch at this strange development.

There were hordes of Bokoblins, Lizalfos threatening a wandering Hylian, Fort Boko being run by a Zora army, all things he was familiar with flashing before his eyes. There was also a lot of stuff that he had never seen before, such as a blood red symbol of an eye that appeared to be crying, or a young girl with golden hair in a crisp white dress who gave off a holy impression. And even though all of these things flashed for only a second before completely disappearing, Brivere somehow had the feeling that he could recall them perfectly, as if they were permanently branded in his mind.

It was such a strange, indescribable experience. Brivere could still see the throne room and everyone inside, but felt like he wasn’t really in his body. It was as if he could see everything, even the crowd behind him or the intricate details on the high ceiling that you would have to completely crane your neck to see. And yet at the same time, he could see none of it as the images continued to incoherently flicker in his mind. Eventually, they started to play out longer, becoming full moving scenes blossoming just out of his reach.

Brivere tried to call out in confusion, hoping for someone to explain to him what was happening, but found that his mouth refused to listen. Reflexively, he wanted to reach up to touch his jaw and figure out what was wrong, but even his hand refused to move. Panic began to creep up his body as he struggled to make any part of himself budge. For some reason, the only thing he actually had control of were his eyes, which darted between spectators, hoping to lock onto their stares and alert them that something was wrong. But whenever he actually managed to get someone’s attention, they would quickly look away, as if he was nothing but a blemish on the perfect marble floors.

His eyes strained to look to the side, trying to alert the few people in the room that actually liked him: Link, Sidon, and Estuu. It immediately backfired when Link just raised an eyebrow, Sidon gave him wide smile of support, and Estuu was too far to be properly seen.

Full panic overtook him. Why had no one had come to his aid already?

His heart was thundering in his chest, threatening to give out any second. It felt like he wasn’t getting enough air; actually, he couldn’t tell if he was even breathing at all.

Was he already dead?

What didn’t help his panic was the knowledge that nearly every person in the room had hated his very existence at one point or another. He could feel their stares harden, their arrogant whispers grow louder and louder. The best he could hope for is that someone would notice something was amiss and reach out to help him, but every second that passed by felt like an eternity.

Brivere had no idea how much time had actually passed until the Guard Captain spoke up. “I do apologize, your majesty, but it has been over 10 minutes and Brivere has done nothing but stand there. As much as I wanted this to work for the sake of our Domain, I simply do not believe this is the case.” The room broke out in low murmurs of agreement, smugly congratulating themselves for being “right” this whole time.

“I see.” King Dorephan sighed, slowly deflating his large form. “I was afraid this would happen. Brivere, please take it off now.”

Oh, Brivere would LOVE to, but his body refused to cooperate. The crowd around him began to shoot impatient glares and their pointed whispers grew louder.

“Knight Captain!” Muzu snapped. “You cannot defy the orders of the King for your own personal satisfaction! You are clearly not Prion’s son, so cease this charade before you face consequences.” All he could do was helplessly make eye contact, hoping that the old Zora would catch on that something was wrong.

He, of course, didn’t.

“If you do not stop this tomfoolery this instant, I will take that collar off myself and you will be removed from your position!” Muzu shrieked, stepping towards Brivere.

“Wait!”

The room suddenly turned to face the Hylian’s voice that rang through the large throne room. Even Muzu stopped to look at Link, who had a concerned look on his face.

“Something isn’t right.” Link hissed as he shouldered past Muzu and stood in front of Brivere. If he could, he would have laughed at the knowledge that a Hylian managed to be more perceptive than the entire elite class of the Zora domain.

Link peered into the Zora’s golden eyes. “Brivere, are you okay?” When he got no response, he waved his hands in front of Brivere’s face, which at his height meant that Link had to bounce on his toes. Brivere barely reacted, only letting his flickering eyes give any indication that he had even seen the Hylian’s actions.

“What is wrong with him?!” Sidon cried out, rushing over to the two. Link held out his arm to stop the Prince and shot him a look of concern. If Brivere couldn’t move anything other than his eyes, then there was no way of him communicating what was wrong.

Unless…

“Everyone be quiet and clear the area!” Link shouted. The crowd around them, too confused to argue, backed up and began to quiet down. When the only thing that could be heard was the occasional whisper, Link looked back up at Brivere.

“Brivere.” Link said slowly, trying to make his words clear as possible. “If you can hear me, I need you to look up.”

Brivere stared up as high as he could, feeling the muscles in the corners of his eyes burn from the effort.

Link let out a sigh of relief. “Good. Now look back at me.” Golden eyes quickly focused on the blue ones that stared back in concern. “If you can move your body, look up. If you can’t, look down.”

Brivere’s eyes darted down to Link’s mud crusted boots. Even in this situation, he cringed at the audacity of the Hylian to still be so filthy in the presence of so many important authority figures. If he actually managed to get out of this, he would definitely chastise Link about that later.

“Brivere,” Sidon said, trying to catch the golden Zora’s gaze. “If you think that you are having visions of the future, look up. If not, look down.”

His eyes hesitated for a moment, locked onto Sidon’s stare. In all honesty, Brivere had no idea what he was seeing, and he didn’t want to be wrong and cause more trouble down the line. But a nagging voice at the back of his mind told him that this situation was not bad. That this was his father’s gift, now manifesting itself in him.

Slowly, Brivere let his eyes drift upwards.

Sidon’s face broke out into a large, genuine grin. “He is having visions of the future!” the Prince announced to the stunned crowd around them. “Quick, someone produce a quill and some paper!”

Despite the Prince’s orders, no one moved. They were frozen in place, as if whatever was happening to Brivere had somehow spread to them. Estuu was unaffected, however, quickly running forward to aid his brother. His only functioning arm dug around the bag slung across his shoulder, and he held out a quill, some paper, and a large jar of ink.

“Thank you, young one.” Sidon said as he gently took the quill and paper out of his small hand. He then placed the items in Brivere’s grasp, making sure he could properly hold onto them. Estuu quickly went to his brother’s side, patiently holding the jar of ink above his head to make it more accessible to Brivere.

“Listen, Brivere.” Sidon urged. “You need to try and regain control of your body. I apologize, but I used my abilities to read your emotions and I believe you may have locked up due to a panic attack. Although, it may just be your body adjusting to this new ability, or possibly even both. Either way, you must write down everything you are seeing.” Prince Sidon flashed his signature grin, but Brivere knew him well enough to see the worry and concern that hid underneath. “Do not hurt yourself, though. Take as much time as you need.”

Brivere could do nothing but stare back as he desperately clutched at the items in his hands. Sidon and Link slowly backed away, encouraging the other knights and nobles in the room to do the same. The only one who remained was Estuu, still holding onto the jar of ink.

He tightly shut his eyes, hoping that it could possibly help his focus. If anything, it only worsened the visions in his head now that he was cut off from the real world, and he was too exhausted to reopen them. It felt like his body was melting into the waves of images that thrashed around in his mind, threatening to drown him in its intensity.

Brivere put all of his mental energy into trying to push back, suppressing them with all of his might. But it was no use. He simply found himself torn apart and stitched back together, swallowed again and again by the flurry of visions in his head. His consciousness began to slip, slowly submitting to the flood that threatened to suffocate him.

 _Calm down._ His mother’s voice softly rang in his head like wind chimes caught on a gentle breeze.

_Brivere had floated too far down the river. He madly swam against the current, trying to get back to his mother on his own, only for her to enter the water anyways and scoop him up in her arms. “Sweet heart,” she laughed. “Calm down! You need to swim with the tide, not against it.” She released him back into the water. “Now how about you swim back to your brother?”_

_Brivere squinted to see a small, rosy tail bobbing around in a shallower area just a little bit ahead of him. At first, he tried to fight against the waves again, but quickly realized that this got him nowhere. He ducked under water, getting a feel of the currents until he could comfortably ride them over to Estuu. The tiny Zora squealed in surprise when his older brother popped out of the water right next to him with a shout of victory and a wide grin on his face._

_“Good job!” His mother cheered further down the stream. “It’s okay to let yourself be caught up in things, you know. You don’t always need to fight back or try to suppress it.” Brivere nodded, and his mother smiled at the sight of her two sons peacefully floating in the shallow waters. “Alright! I’d say you learned your lesson then. Watch over your baby brother for me, okay?”_

Brivere eased up, trying to push away the lingering anxiety that tingled in his body. Letting the flow of images naturally play out, he let his consciousness be carried around as he soaked it all in. He could see an army of Zora soldiers marching towards a Lynel, he could see their every move, he could see them chanting “Zo ra ra ra!” in victory. He also saw them retreating as two of them died, and in another version three had perished. This was a common theme, watching a scene play out in hundreds of different ways all layered on top of one another. Since he had never seen any of this before, he could only assume that this was the future he was paying witness to.

The waves that threatened to drown him before slowly subsided into gentle ripples. Images steadily developed into full on scenes, letting Brivere fully see what would happen in every situation that was to come. The anxiety that had built up eventually washed away, leaving him in a calm lull. Slowly, he opened his eyes, finding everything and everyone to be exactly the same as he last saw them. The only difference was that they all gazed in wonder instead of disgust, and Link and Sidon had drawn closer, worried about his condition.

He had no idea how much time had passed before he had gained enough feeling in his hand to lead the quill over the paper. Despite the ridiculous amount of reports he had written in the past, his hand still clumsily churned out barely legible letters across the page. Brivere grit his sharp teeth and tried to put more focus into his arm, which made the words a bit clearer.

Eventually, he fell into a rhythm, comfortably filling up the page and moving onto the next one. The scratching of his quill was the only sound in the room as everyone stared in awe.

But the quill never seemed to catch up to his thoughts, and in a desperate attempt to document everything he threw the quill aside and dunked his fingers into the jar of black ink that Estuu held. His younger brother yelped in surprise, but continued to hold the jar steady and ignored the ink splashed around. Brivere’s claws dragged across the paper, spelling out enemy plans and soldier deaths, monster encampments, and even more visions of the future to come.

Everyone in the room gasped as he collapsed onto his knees. They were all frozen in place, unsure of what to do as Brivere continued to attack the papers strewn about the floor with his ink stained hands.

The world around him had faded away long ago. All he could see were flashes of what he presumed to be the future, because if it had happened to him before then he would have been a much more broken man by now.

Because of this, Brivere didn’t notice when he ran out of paper. He didn’t notice how he continued the scribbles of a mad man onto the marble floor, nor how he began to scratch at his arms so badly that his blood began to mix with the ink. He didn’t notice that his vision was getting blurry because of the hot tears that flowed down his contorted face. He didn’t notice the voices that shouted around him, muffled as if they were under water.

Someone- wait no, it was Estuu- was grabbing at his hands, which he smacked away as he continued to drag ink across the floor.

Words could barely describe what he was seeing, so he gave up writing and began to violently draw in splotchy lines of ink. The pictures became more and more incoherent as he desperately tried to document the visions before they permanently disappeared from his mind.

He couldn’t stop seeing horrible scenes of everyone he knew dying. Sidon was collapsed in the middle of a battle, a spear sticking out of his neck, blood gurgling in his throat as he tried but failed to call for help. He witnessed Link die in at least one hundred different ways as he squared off against the Calamity, and in all of them he was crying and begging for death not to take him now. He was forced to watch his beloved little brother slowly suffer over and over again, each one in a different and more excruciating way, each one where he was alone and screaming for Brivere to help him and oh god, no please, don’t take him now, why was he alone, why wasn’t Brivere there, no please someone help him-

His hands had minds of their own, because something inside him screamed that if he could at least somehow show everyone else these visions then maybe they could prevent them from ever happening.

Yet another voice told him he needed to stop. He couldn’t tell if it was in his own head or if it was someone shouting at him from outside his body, but either way he could feel his sanity slipping away.

Brivere tried to focus the little control he had left into his jaw, which felt welded shut. His sharp teeth ground together so hard that his gums were bleeding. Muscles in his throat were on fire as he begged his vocal chords to scream for help.

He was always known as a stoic and emotionless Zora, even amongst anyone who knew him well. No matter the situation, he kept on a stone-cold mask that gave away nothing about what he was truly feeling. He was quiet and spoke only when necessary, and even then it was always brief and professional.

So imagine their horror when his mouth finally snapped open.

“GET THIS THING OFF OF ME!” Brivere howled, slamming his head into the marble floor as his fingers clawed at the collar around his neck. “GET IT OFF GET IT OFF GET IT OFF!”

Hands shot out of the crowd and quickly pinned him to the ground. Brivere squirmed against their grasp, screaming. He couldn’t tell why he was screaming. All of his senses seemed to melt together into one big mess, confusing physical and mental pain for each other. And at the same time, he felt the same dissociation from earlier, as if he wasn’t truly in the golden body that flailed around on the floor. Familiar voices rang out all around him, but he can barely tell which one belonged to who.

“Hold him down!”

“Someone call the healers!”

“What is wrong with him?!”

Someone else near his face was trying to calm him down in hushed tones, but he was more focused on the collar around his neck that continued to heat up as if it was molten metal. His left hand snapped free from whoever was holding it down, and he began to claw at the necklace once more.

Smaller, softer hands smacked his away. “Brivere, stop it!” a familiar voice hissed right next to his face. “I’ll take it off for you, just hold still!”

Brivere forced his eyes to focus on where the voice came from. His vision was still hazy, but he could still vaguely make out the face of the Hylian Champion next to him. He felt Link’s hands hastily slip under his neck and undo the choker with ease, yanking it off in an instant.

Even though the choker was off, Brivere could still feel it burning into his scales. The same visions still danced around his mind, threatening to drag him back down into insanity.

Something soft bumped against his brow. “Brivere,” a low voice said. “Focus on me.”

Before he could respond, Sidon’s hands gently cradled his face, tilting the knight’s head upwards and lifting it into his lap. Sidon rested his forehead against Brivere’s, forcing him to stare into the Prince’s golden eyes. Brivere could feel his whole body slowly unwind as the Prince forced the horrible visions of the future out of his mind, replacing it with happy memories of the past.

He was back at the table with Sidon during the festival, simply enjoying some sweet raindrop cake and laughing at the spoiled prince’s disgust.

He was sitting on a hill with Link, the two of them staring in awe at the beautiful sunset dipping below the horizon.

He was preparing dinner in the kitchen, softly humming a familiar tune as Estuu quietly read a book next to him.

He was in his mother’s arms, caught up in her warm embrace as she whispered a sweet lullaby to him.

He was safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Chapter 3: Hesitation)  
> i love watching big strong men suffer (lmao tell me if you know what other sidlink fanfic thats from)  
> yessssss gimme the angst, the pain  
> slurp it up  
> what do yall think so far? enjoying it? still strapped in?  
> and is there a way to put italics in ao3? its my first time using the site and i cant get it to do italics, which is sad cause it takes away some original intentions that i had


	4. Catharsis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brivere should be satisfied. After years of abuse and being pushed out of society the golden knight was finally able to prove everyone wrong and gain some sense of justice for his family. 
> 
> Even if all of them are dead except for his younger brother, Estuu.
> 
> But that's just the thing. Brivere isn't satisfied. Something else is bothering him, and when he realizes that all of the pain and humiliation that his family had endured for over a century could have easily been avoided by one man's simple choice, one man who held so much power over him, the new discovery threatens to push him over the edge and shatter the Knight Captain once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a fanfiction for a fanfiction called Coma Baby by BanishedOne. If you like a grumpy Link and really well developed, deep characters and an amazing take on the political structure of the Zora Domain, then definitely check it out! It's a long read and still going on, but the writing and descriptions are superb and it just means more great content. This fic in particular is focused on my favorite character in the series, the OC Brivere. You don't need to read the whole series to get what's going on in this fic though, since a lot is explained in here. I also post memes and fanfics for Coma Baby on my tumblr bunnyb0b!
> 
> Disclaimer: In no way does this have any true ties or canon to Coma Baby unless stated otherwise. It’s really just an indulgence AU to feed my obsession for Brivere drama.

When Brivere awoke, his eyes were so heavy that they would barely open. He felt like sinking back into the darkness again, but something told him that he had been asleep for long enough already. He was floating in warm water, gentle ripples lapping at his sore body. Squinting, he could see Estuu curled up on the ledge of the pool, close enough for comfort but not enough to touch, just like usual. Link and Sidon were sitting in chairs off to the side, the Hylian Champion leaning back with his eyes closed behind blond hair while the prince appeared to be shifting through military reports. The place was unfamiliar, but it didn’t take long to realize that he was in one of the medical bays.

Brivere gained enough strength to fully open his eyes, slightly thankful that none of the others had noticed him wake up. He wanted to bask in the comfortable silence in the room, surrounded by the few people who genuinely seemed to care for him.

Eventually, Brivere decided that he had indulged in their company for too long. It was a bad habit of his to feel guilty for any moment of relaxation, since he usually had more urgent matters to attend to. Plus, he wanted to know why he was in the medical bay in the first place.

He kicked his legs to tread the water instead of floating on his back, opening his mouth to call out to his friends. But the splashes were louder than he intended, and they all quickly snapped their heads to stare at him, eyes wide with concern. “Brivere!” Sidon and Link shouted, jumping out of their chairs to join Estuu at the edge of the healing pool. Estuu’s head tail was wildly wagging about as he smacked the surface of the water with his hand, strangled whines coming out of his distressed mouth.

The corners of Brivere’s mouth tipped up into a small smile. “There is no need to worry, everyone. I am alright. But I must ask, why am I here? What happened?”

The three of them stared at him, the relief on their faces quickly replaced with confusion. They looked at each other, clearly wanting to ask something, but knew that no one else had the right answer.

Finally, it was Sidon who spoke up. “What is the last thing you remember happening?”

Brivere hummed and dug around his mind for answers. He made a pinched face as he found that he actually couldn’t recall much. “I just remember putting on the choker, really. Anything after that is a blur.” Anxiety began to slowly blossom in his chest. Did he actually have visions of the future? Did one of the nobles deck him for his audacity? Dear Hylia, did Prion himself curse Brivere from beyond the grave for daring to take his lie so far?

Sidon looked over at Link and Estuu, waiting for their nod of approval to continue. “After you put on the choker, your whole body froze up, but Link and I managed to communicate with you using your eyes. Then you started writing things down, but it escalated when you collapsed and started painting all over the floor, and you eventually started hurting yourself so some of the guards pinned you down while Link took off the collar and I used my abilities to stabilize your mental state. We took you to this medical bay, and we have been waiting for you to wake for a few hours now.”

It took a few moments for Sidon’s words to fully register. He had had a mental breakdown… in front of practically every important political figure in the Domain? Who all hated him, no less?

Brivere groaned and sank deeper into the pool. Link laughed sympathetically, waving at him to come back up again. “Don’t feel too embarrassed about it. You completely wiped the smug look off of their faces.”

Brivere blinked at him. “What?”

“You know, the mental breakdown? It was because you were having visions of the future.” The Hylian sat back on his knees and grinned. “I thought that you would be more excited than this, knowing that you really are Prion’s son.”

For some reason, that completely flew over Brivere’s head, but now that he remembered it he couldn’t help the large smile that stretched across his face. His friends were happy to see the rare smile grace Brivere’s mouth, and they all whooped and slapped the water in celebration. He laughed and rose his arms to block their excited splashes.

He was Prion’s son. He rolled the thought around in his head, over and over, branding it into his mind so that he would remember it as fact rather than just his mother’s claim. His happiness wasn’t necessarily from proving all of his tormentors wrong, although that was a definite bonus.

No, he was content to know that his family could finally be whole, even if his parents weren’t physically there in the moment.

But something else was bothering him, slightly tainting his newfound happiness. He couldn’t tell what it was until he remembered what had brought about this new revelation in the first place.

The choker.

Brivere had worked for the royal family for years and never even knew of its existence. But King Dorephan knew about his situation. He was the one who had approved of his family’s nobility status being revoked and stood by as everyone else ripped them apart for it. He had had the choker this whole time, and knew that any doubts could have easily been dispelled if Brivere had just been allowed to try it on. Everything wrong that had happened to him and his family could have been avoided.

His mother wouldn’t be dead.

“Brivere?” Sidon said. “Are you alright?” Brivere’s eyes snapped onto the prince.

Did Sidon know about the choker?

 _No, no._ Brivere thought, shaking the accusation away. _I can’t get mad at him without even hearing his side again. It took months to rebuild what we have after I completely destroyed his feelings when I was sick with the Water Blight, and I couldn’t bear to go through that again._

He let out a long sigh. “I am sorry, my lord. Yes, I am alright.”

Sidon cast him a doubtful look. “Brivere, I don’t even have to use my abilities to tell that something is bothering you. I know you don’t like to talk about your problems, but communication is really important and we just want to help.”

Pausing, he shook his head. “I know, and I am very grateful for it, but I just feel that it is something more appropriate to discuss with your father.” Brivere looked up and gazed upon the three people he loved so much. “…But I would really appreciate you all being there with me.”

“Then it is settled!” Sidon grinned. “My father wanted to speak with you anyways, but only when you recovered enough to do so.”

Brivere nodded and swam over to the three of them, trying not to let the aches in his body show as he lifted himself over the side of the pool. He definitely shouldn’t be leaving the medical bay now, but the questions in his head triumphed over the pain in his body.

Once Brivere proved that he could stand and walk on his own, the four of them headed out towards the throne room. It was already night time, and the castle’s blue walls shined brilliantly in the bright moonlight. They all walked in peaceful silence, Brivere in the front with Link and Sidon on both of his sides and Estuu trailing right behind him.

However, it quickly became clear that Brivere was not well when he started limping with ragged breaths. Sidon and Link immediately wanted to bring him back to the medical bay but eventually agreed to just let him lean on them for support when he protested. It was a bit awkward at first due to the extreme height differences, and Brivere ended up clutching onto Link’s shoulder with one hand and grabbing onto Sidon’s bicep with the other. When he could finally see the large entranceway of the throne room around the corner, he gently pushed off of them with a thankful nod.

The second he could no longer feel their physical support his stride immediately faltered. His body threatened to crumple against the ground, but he fought through it and numbly limped towards the entrance.

Sidon’s hand reflexively reached out to steady him, but Brivere lightly smacked it away. “Please, my lord.” He said softly. “I have already ruined my dignity in front of everyone, the very least I can do is to try and maintain some sense of pride.” With this, Brivere straightened his back, ignoring the fire that erupted all over his body. He held his head high and entered into the throne room within his usual blank face devoid of emotion.

Link and Sidon looked at each other, silently asking one another if they should stop him, but decided against it due to the golden Zora’s stubborn nature. Instead, they made sure that Estuu followed close by as they walked behind Brivere.

When he entered the throne room, Brivere noticed that it was filled with the same nobles, apostles, and knights from before, but they all seemed to look at him in anticipation rather than disdain. Many of them were huddled over the black stains splashed onto the floor, whispering amongst themselves as they tried to interpret the incoherent symbols. When they noticed that he was heading towards the king, the crowd immediately shushed each other and parted to let him walk through easily. Their newfound respect was awkward, but he supposed that it was an improvement.

The four of them stood in front of the king, lowering themselves to kneel out of respect. Brivere’s suspicions almost kept him from doing so, but he gave in due to years of obedience and servitude to the royal family.

King Dorephan gently waved at them to stand up. “Brivere, I hope that you have fully recovered from earlier?”

Brivere nodded. “Yes, your majesty.” he lied.

“I am glad to hear that. So much has happened within the past few hours, and we still have to discuss plans for the future, but for now I would like you to examine these documents.” Muzu stepped forward and handed him a stack of paper, avoiding eye contact. This confused Brivere, since he was pretty sure that the two of them were on good terms before.

Brivere thoroughly scanned the papers, watching them start as normal handwriting and develop into disorganized scribbles. The last few pages were complete chaos, almost completely soaked in black ink.

He looked up to the king, confused. “What are these?”

King Dorephan narrowed his eyes in confusion, opening his mouth to speak before his son cut him off. “Father,” Prince Sidon said. “Brivere doesn’t remember anything that happened. I gave him a general summary but he will not be able to recall any details.”

Nodding, King Dorephan leaned back into his throne. “That is unfortunate then. Over half of Brivere’s writings are completely illegible, including the drawings on the floor.”

Brivere inwardly cringed as he glanced down at the stained marble under his webbed feet. "I apologize, your majesty. I will cover any costs to restore it to it's former shine."

“It is quite alright, Brivere, you had no control over it." King Dorephan chuckled, waving off the golden Zora's apology. "And premonitions of the future are far more valuable than some boring old floor.”

The kind words barely eased the turmoil inside of Brivere, but he slightly nodded and handed the papers back to Muzu. He prepared himself to finally confront the king, but faltered when King Dorephan warmly smiled back at him. “There is no need to feel bad, Brivere. You have done extremely well today, and I speak for all of us when I say that we deeply regret doubting you and your family for all of these years.”

Brivere was stunned, but not necessarily by what the king was saying. He had always thought that he wanted to hear such remorseful words, but now that he actually was hearing them they felt empty and hollow in his ears. His face tilted down, trying to manage his thoughts.

“That being said, the information you managed to write down was extremely valuable, and we have already relayed them to the different military and judicial branches while you were in the medical bay. However, I am confident that we will be more ready next time, as we know what to expect now.”

Brivere’s head shot up. “Next time?” he weakly asked.

King Dorephan raised his brow. “Yes, next time we will have more paper available and fewer Zora to watch you to ease the pressure. Do not worry, they will be trained in helping you calm down and restraining you if necessary. Your practices should aim to be less dependent on your father’s choker and more on summoning your abilities on your own.”

Brivere let out a shaky breath, trying not to let the emotions swirling inside of him show on his face. Years of muscle memory maintaining his indifferent mask was the only thing that saved him. He had been trained his whole life to obediently bend to the will of those above him, but…

“With all due respect, your majesty,” Brivere said slowly, “I do not wish to wear my father’s choker again.”

The room burst into a confusing jumble of sounds as the nobles around him loudly criticized Brivere’s refusal. It became obvious that he would only have their “respect” if he unquestionably obeyed them.

King Dorephan held up a hand, silencing the room. “Hush. Ultimately, it is his choice in the end.” He didn’t seem to look upon Brivere with anger; instead, his gaze was one of curiosity and concern. “While I will respect your decision, I must implore you to reconsider. Your gift is extremely crucial to our kingdom thriving once again.”

Brivere tried to gather his thoughts. Ultimately, he didn’t want to get deeper into what was actually bothering him about this situation, so he came up with the shallowest yet still excusable answer. “To be quite frank, the experience was extremely unbearable. I was forced to watch so many heinous visions at once, and it overloaded my senses. Several times I thought I would die or completely lose myself.”

Several knights and other noblemen around him scoffed, but were quickly cut off with a glare from the king. “That is completely understandable, and I regret that you had to go through it without fully knowing what would happen. However, I am confident that we can make accommodations to ease any future attempts, and with time and practice the experience will not be so harsh.”

The crowd around them nodded and muttered in approval. Brivere winced, knowing that his excuse wouldn’t be accepted anymore.

He glanced at Estuu, Link, and Sidon, who had gone back to their earlier spot next to the King’s throne. The sight of the three people that he deeply cared for eased the growing panic in his chest.

The sympathetic stare that the prince gave him was the exact same one from when they were in the medical bay. The one that urged him to speak his mind and finally say what was wrong. Brivere shook his head slightly, knowing that it was what Sidon wanted him to do. Years of maintaining his blank face had also taught him how to suffocate any spark of emotion within him, snuffing it out so that it could never be seen by anyone. The few times that he actually tried to actually talk about his feelings, it usually backfired. And to do so now, to an unforgiving crowd of Zora elite who despised him, to the king who held complete power over his life?

He was destined to fail, and he didn’t even need the choker to see it.

A soft smacking noise caught his attention, and Brivere looked over to see Estuu’s head tail quickly flopping against his back. His little brother’s eyes lit up as they made eye contact, which he didn’t break as he reached into his satchel. Pulling out The Cursed Girl, Estuu tapped the cover of the book several times with his claw.

_Try. Try. Try._

Link, who seemed to catch on, gave him a nod of encouragement and a thumbs up, motioning towards the throne. Sighing, he finally turned his attention back to the king, who was awaiting his reply. “Your majesty, may I lay my soul bare and be perfectly honest with you?”

The king’s eyes widened at the strange request, but he didn’t deny it. “Go ahead, Brivere. I wish to understand you so that I can help.”

Brivere let out a breath that he didn’t know that he was holding. After a long pause where he tried to will the feelings he hid for so long to finally come out in the open and be seen, he looked the king square in the eye. He hoped that the slight trembling of his body wasn’t noticeable to anyone else in the room.

“With all due respect, your majesty, I find it extremely inappropriate for you and everyone else here to be asking such things of myself. My family and I have been disgraced for years, while you all either stood by and did nothing or participated in belittling us. So when I finally have something for you all to exploit for your own personal gain, I am finally worth existing in the same room as you? And to be quite frank, I am actually furious that you, King Dorephan, withheld my father’s choker this whole time, which would have alleviated our struggle.”

Everyone gawked at the audacity of the golden Zora, who continued to glare at the king. King Dorephan shook his head, stunned. “I am afraid that that is simply not the case, Brivere.”

“Oh, isn’t it?” Brivere snarled. Even he was shocked by the venom dripping off of his words. “You were the one who approved stripping my mother and I of our nobility status, humiliating us and cutting off all ties to my father. And you knew that everyone,” Brivere gestured around the room of nobles, who flinched as if had he hit them, “had treated us like outcasts, tormenting us to the point that my mother took her own life. None of you decided to help my brother or I when we were suddenly alone, and I had to raise him myself and claw my way to the position of Knight Captain just to barely keep us afloat and maintain some shred of dignity.”

Brivere’s glare scanned the room, making sure every noble knew that he was talking to them. “Perhaps it is selfish of me to say so, but I do not know why I should help the very people who refused to do the same.”

The room erupted into chaos, nobles shouting “How dare you!” or scowling at him with gritted, sharp teeth. King Dorephan quieted them all with the raise of his large hand and a hard look in his eyes. “Brivere, it is more complicated than you think.”

Throwing his hands up, Brivere let out a loud, incredulous laugh. He was so exhausted that he didn’t even bother to properly think over what he would say next. “Complicated?! Then please, go ahead and explain!” Brivere chuckled sarcastically. Everyone’s jaw dropped at the golden knight's disrespectful tone, including King Dorephan. “I would _love_ for you to explain why you were complicit in completely degrading my family! No, I want to _know_ why we have been tormented and ignored by the very people my father died to protect!”

Brivere didn’t even let the king reply, instead stepping forward to point a clawed finger at him along with a deadly glare. “It is _your_ fault!” he hissed. Everyone was taken aback by the usually silent and obedient knight’s sudden outburst. “You _KNEW_ of my mother’s situation. You _KNEW_ that all Estuu and I had was each other. You _KNEW_ of my father’s silver scale choker, and you _KNEW_ that if you had just given it to me all those years ago then none of this would have happened!”

The golden Zora gulped for air, trying to control his shaky breaths. He was afraid that this would happen. That the second he tried to speak his mind, all of the thoughts that he had locked away for years would come spilling out until it destroyed everything around him. His hands trembled at his side, and he clenched them in order to keep himself from spitting out the remaining accusation that raged inside of him. It begged to be free after so many years of imprisonment, and eventually Brivere gave in. He had already gone too far, so what was the point of holding back?

“My mother would still be alive if it weren’t for you.” Brivere spat.

Even though it was clearly directed at one specific person, everyone in the room guiltily flinched at Brivere’s last statement.

Brivere absolutely hated the way the king’s face fell. He didn’t dare look at his prince, afraid that he would find the Prince glaring back at him in anger for breaking his father. His heart hurt at the thought that he possibly lost one of the few people that had showed him genuine kindness.

He definitely went too far, but the satisfaction of finally stating his mind completely took over any anticipation of the consequences to come.

What finally broke the silence that followed was the sound of metal gently clanking together. Everyone turned to gawk at the Guard Captain, who had sunk onto his knees. Brivere couldn’t believe that Bazz, the same man who had harshly refused to help him get proper rations for his brother just months prior, was now kneeling before him.

Slowly, one by one, each noble, knight, and apostle knelt down with their heads bowed towards Brivere. He panicked, not sure if this was a good thing or not, and turned to Sidon for help only to find the Prince already hunched over with his brow touching the floor. Within a few moments, the only ones standing other than Brivere were Link and Estuu, looking just as shocked as he was.

The old king should have been included, but Brivere watched in horror as the man he bowed to and respected for the past hundred years tried to lift his large body out of his elegant throne.

“Your majesty!” Brivere blurted, darting towards the king with his arms wildly waving around. “I am so sorry! Please do not do this! I am at fault for speaking so out of turn!”

King Dorephan grunted as he awkwardly tried to lower his ginormous body onto his knees. “No, Brivere. Your words contain only the truth, and this small gesture cannot make up for the years of wrongdoing that I have committed against the family of Prion.”

He gave the king a wary grin. “Your majesty, I will greatly consider forgiving only if you do not kneel before me.”

The king paused as he uncomfortably crouched, still considering going onto his knees. Eventually he sighed, letting out a low, sad chuckle as he hoisted himself back into his throne. “Such unwarranted generosity. You truly are his son.”

Brivere didn’t know how to respond to that. Instead, he quickly walked around the room, apologizing and reassuring the nobles to stand up. Years of conditioning to respect and bow to these Zora made Brivere feel guilty for their humiliating gesture, but he still quietly enjoyed it nonetheless. They hesitantly rose onto their feet, mumbling words of regret and gratitude. A couple of them had even broken out into soft sobs.

When everyone was standing once more, Brivere walked back in front of the throne. “Brivere,” King Dorephan said softly. “Words cannot fully describe the immense guilt and regret that I feel for what I have done to your family. And I do believe that everyone else in this room shares the same sentiment.” Murmurs of agreement arose from around the room. Brivere was certain that some of them were just saying that to pat themselves on the back or had knelt earlier as to not look bad, but he decided to ignore them in favor of the king’s genuine sorrow.

“However, I promise to never allow such atrocities to ever happen again. I fully intend to do everything in my power to make it up to you and your brother.”

A rare smile slipped onto the reserved knight's face, stunning the crowd around him. “Your majesty, you have no idea how much that means to me. I am deeply sorry for the harsh words that I had spoken. I had been holding back and suppressing such emotions for so long, but that is absolutely no excuse for their vitriol.”

The king let out a very un-royal snort that almost made Brivere laugh. “Please, as if there was no truth in them. And while I do not expect you to forgive me any time soon, which is completely understandable, I still wish to explain myself so you may gain a better understanding of my actions.” Brivere nodded, trying not to let his curiosity show.

Humming, King Dorephan drummed his fingers on the arm of his throne while he tried to gather his thoughts. After a slight pause, he finally spoke, eyes noticeably growing distant. “When I first learned that Prion had died in battle, I was completely overwhelmed by grief and despair. The only thing that kept me going was my duty to our people. You see, Prion was not only my First Knight and closest advisor, but our friendship had a bond so deep that many speculated that I was cheating on my dear wife with him.”

The old king paused, bitterly chuckling at the memory. “So imagine my shock when a woman that I had never even heard of before came into my throne room, claiming to have married Prion on the battlefield and to have become pregnant with his child.”

“Many things just felt so… wrong about that. I never even received one letter from him about falling in love, with a woman he would have only known for less than a few months, no less. And you know that us Zora mate for life, so relationships take many years if not a century to confirm that they have a true soul-bond." King Dorephan explained slowly. "And Prion… he was the most cautious man I knew. He planned out every detail to the letter, and his future vision only made him even more careful. So I could scarcely believe that he would hastily marry this woman and allow her to have his child.”

“As a result, when rumors began to spread that she was lying just to feed off of Prion’s social status, I began to believe them." the king said, his voice laced with clear regret. "I was outraged that she would abuse my cherished friend’s memory in such a way. Ultimately, my emotions clouded my proper judgement, and she never got the chance to prove herself.”

Brivere let the words sank in, nodding politely. While it made sense, it was not as if the King’s explanation would erase the pain he and his family had suffered from for over a century. But something still bothered him about this. “If I may ask, your majesty, what about my father’s choker? How long have you had it? Why did you not allow me to try it on sooner?”

King Dorephan’s golden eyes focused onto him. “Admittedly, I have had the choker since Prion’s death. It was the only thing that we managed to retrieve and preserve from his body. But do not let your anger be directed towards anyone else. I was the only one, other than your mother and Muzu, who knew about its existence and location until today.”

Brivere let out a sigh of relief at the knowledge that Sidon hadn’t been keeping it from him this whole time. The king continued, saying, “I valued it so much, as it was your father’s most cherished possession and all that I had left of him. So when you were born and your mother begged for me to let you put it on, I refused. I didn’t want to tarnish his memory… and I must confess, I was terrified to attempt it. I was scared to be wrong, I was scared to be right, I was scared of either outcome. So instead, I gave up and did not even give you a chance, and unfortunately your family was the one to suffer the consequences of my indecisiveness.”

_Try. Try. Try._

“I completely understand, your majesty.” Brivere said. “However, I must confess that it will take time for me to fully forgive your actions. But I am not opposed to continuing to pledge my life to the royal family.”

He was surprised when tears flowed out of the old king’s eyes, making the Knight Captain worry that he had said something wrong. “Thank you for giving me a chance at redemption. I confess, I am so deeply ashamed of myself. I can scarcely remember Prion as my companion anymore, for what kind of “best friend” am I to have caused so much pain to his own family?” the king said as he lowered his head in shame. “I beg of you not as a king, but as a desperate Zora, to wear your father’s choker again in order to continue his protection of our people. But no matter your choice, it is yours to keep.”

Brivere thought about it for a moment. “Although I have never met my father,” he began, “I have absolutely no doubt that he would have forgiven you, and would want to continue being your best friend, even if only in memory. And I will develop my gift to protect the people he loved, which I truly believe still includes you.”

The edges of King Dorephan’s old, wise eyes crinkled up as he smiled. “You definitely are his son, Brivere. I don’t know why I didn’t see it sooner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Chapter 4: Catharsis)  
> Technically this aint the end of catharsis. Spoiler alert, i have an 11 chapter mini series following the events of this shit. Whether you like it or not we are gettin more Brivere content BABYYYYYYYYYYYY  
> but ayyyyyy we finally hit the meaning of the title lmao  
> since this is done now i guess i'll get a bit more into my intentions and stuff  
> obviously, love coma baby, which is strange cause I've never really seen a Link that angsty in any other fic before. but he's just written so well that i put up with his bullshit. like he could step on me and id say sorry.  
> its also weird cause i usually dont like fics with OCs just cause of how badly its been done before, or they clearly stick out. But i fuckin love Brivere and Estuu and no one will ever convince me otherwise. this fic was made cause i wanted a kinda happy ending where brivere gets his "revenge" and justice  
> fun fact: ive never played breath of the wild cause i dont even have a console. but i've watched a lot of play throughs so i can vicariously live through them and ive read all of the wikis and other things.


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